Wildwood Lake offers quiet living with a know-your-neighbor feel
Wildwood Lake is a small unincorporated community located a few miles southeast of downtown Cleveland, Tennessee. As its name suggests, natural beauty is a focal point of this rural area, where lots are quiet and crops sprout from fields. “People living out in Wildwood Lake are there to just farm and live," says Jannis Sams, a longtime resident and local Realtor with Crye-Leike Real Estate Services, who has 30 years of experience in the industry. "You will know your neighbors out there. If your car gets stuck in the ditch, they will get their tractor and pull you out."
New subdivisions mix with rural properties
Wildwood Lake has mostly single-family homes. Ranch, split-level and New Traditional styles appear most often, with build dates stretching from the mid-1900s into the 2020s. Its older homes sit back from quiet hilly roads, between patches of forest and crop fields. Lots in these more rural parts can reach nearly 12 acres, which many use for backyard gardens and raising chickens. Newly built subdivisions appear throughout the community, where homes tend to sit closer together on landscaped parcels. Most homes sell between $150,000 and $500,000.
Recreation includes nearby parks, golf and the Ocoee River
There are no public green spaces located in Wildwood Lake. However, nearby Blythe Oldfield Park offers a set of playgrounds, basketball courts and picnic pavilions. Sugarloaf Mountain Park, a part of the larger Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park, is 16 miles east. Park visitors enjoy hiking wooded trails, camping and Ocoee River access. “A lot of people will get on the river for boating, canoeing and fishing,” Sams says. Falcon Pointe Golf Club on state Route 60 offers an 18-hole course open to the public.
Bradley County School District serves the community
Waterville Community Elementary School and Lake Forest Middle School get B-plus ratings from Niche. Bradley Central High School earns a B-minus and has a STEM academy that offers career and technical education courses like Health Science and Precision Machining. Following graduation, students can attend Cleveland State Community College or Lee University, both within 10 miles of the area. The latter offers more than 100 programs, from nursing to business to music education.
Seasonal events include various farmers markets and a family festival
The Bradley County Farmers Market occurs on Cleveland’s northern side every Saturday morning from July through mid-October. “Because we have so many farmers, and people are into natural and organic foods, we have a lot of markets,” Sams says. Local vendors also sell fresh produce, food and handmade goods at Farmers on First Grocery Market every Sunday in downtown Cleveland. The city hosts annual events like the MainStreet Cruise-In in early April and the Sweet Tea & Sunshine Family Festival later in the month.
Shopping and dining are available along U.S. Route 74
Commercial developments directly northwest on U.S. Route 74 feature a Walmart Supercenter, Food City for groceries and a combination of chain and local restaurants. Huddle House is popular with the morning crowds, serving typical American-style breakfasts. La Altena has traditional Mexican entrees and is known for its margaritas. Several dollar stores are also available along the corridor. Bradley Square Mall, 10 miles north, offers more retail options.
Commuting out of Wildwood Lake
Interstate 75 passes 8 miles west, connecting residents to Chattanooga, 35 miles southwest. The nearest commercial flights take off from Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. State Route 60 borders the community’s western side, leading 6 miles into downtown Cleveland and 26 miles to Dalton.
Written By
Matthew Simmons
